Comparison of Category 5/Category 5e/Category 6/Category 6e/Category 7 and other types of network cables

1. The difference between Category 5 and Category 5e network cables

1. What are Category 5 and Category 5e network cables?

Category 5 network cable, this type of cable has increased winding density, a high-quality insulating material outer jacket, and the outer sheath is marked with "CAT5"; the transmission bandwidth is 100MHz, used for voice transmission and data transmission with a maximum transmission rate of 100Mbps, mainly used in 100BASE-T and 10BASE-T networks. This is the most commonly used Ethernet cable.

Category 5e network cable, "Category 5e" refers to Category 5e unshielded twisted pair (UTP—Unshielded Twisted Pair), which is composed of multiple twisted pairs and a plastic sheath, with the outer sheath marked "CAT5e"; the transmission bandwidth can be as high as 1000Mb/s, but it often requires the support of expensive special equipment. Therefore, it is usually only used in 100Mb/s Fast Ethernet to achieve the connection between desktop switches and computers.

2. The difference between Category 5 and Category 5e network cables

• Category 5 cables are marked with "CAT5", with a bandwidth of 100M, suitable for networks below 100M; Category 5e cables are marked with "CAT5E", with a bandwidth of 155M;
• Category 5 twisted pair cables can meet the increasingly popular 100M/bps Ethernet. Category 5e twisted pair cables are mainly used in Gigabit networks, but are now also commonly used in local area networks.
• Category 5 cables transmit signals with a maximum rate of 100MHz and are widely used. Category 5e cables transmit signals with a maximum rate of 100MHz and have better performance than Category 5 cables, improving indicators such as NEXT, PS-ELFEXT, Atten, and supporting duplex applications.
• Category 5e twisted pair cables are mainly used by communication companies or network companies to deploy outdoor short-distance links. The maximum effective communication distance of ordinary Category 5 cables is 100M, while Category 5e cables can reach a maximum communication distance of 300M. In addition, the service life of the outer protective layer is much longer than that of ordinary Category 5 cables. Most of the cables connected from the community gateway or the whole building gateway to your router or switch are Category 5e cables.

Category 5e unshielded twisted pair cable is a cable that improves some of the performance of the existing Category 5 shielded twisted pair cable. Many performance parameters, such as near-end crosstalk, attenuation-to-crosstalk ratio, and return loss, have been improved, but its transmission bandwidth is still 100MHz.

Unshielded Category 5e twisted pair also uses 4 winding pairs and 1 rip cord. The color of the wire pairs is exactly the same as that of Category 5 twisted pair, which are white (orange)/orange, white (green)/green, white (blue)/blue, and white (brown)/brown. The nominal bare copper (BC) wire diameter is 0.51mm (wire gauge is 24AWG), the insulation wire diameter is about 0.9mm, and the UTP cable diameter is generally 5mm.

Although Category 5e unshielded twisted pair cables can also provide up to 1000Mb/s transmission bandwidth, they often require the support of expensive special equipment. Therefore, they are usually only used in 100Mb/s Fast Ethernet to connect desktop switches to computers.

2. The difference between Category 5e and Category 6 network cables

As people's demand for higher bandwidth and faster speed networks continues to grow, Category 5e and Category 6 twisted pair cables are increasingly being used in people's lives. At present, in the large family of twisted pair cables, Category 5e and Category 6 twisted pair cables are the most widely used compared to Category 3, Category 5 and Category 7 twisted pair cables.

Although the status of Category 5e and Category 6 cables is on par, this does not mean that Category 5e and Category 6 cables can replace each other. Consumers still need to understand the characteristics of both cables so that they can make better choices based on their network needs. So what are the differences between Category 5e twisted pair cables and Category 6 twisted pair cables?

First of all, the biggest difference between Category 5e and Category 6 is their performance. Although both Category 5e and Category 6 systems can transmit Gigabit networks, the standard used by Category 5e to transmit Gigabit networks is 1000Base-T, while 1000BASE-Tx is the working method of Category 6 systems. From this perspective, Category 5e systems are only "capable" of supporting Gigabit Ethernet, while Category 6 systems are "truly guaranteed" to use Gigabit Ethernet.

Therefore, the Category 6 system is more adaptable to the current building environment, especially in places where a large number of twisted pairs are concentrated and there are many interference sources, such as rooms with many electrical appliances (computers, telephones, various production equipment, etc.), equipment rooms, and places near power lines and lighting lines. The following will further explain the reasons for this difference from the perspective of 1000Base-T and 1000Base-Tx.

1000Base-T generally uses 4 pairs of twisted pairs to complete 1000Mbps data transmission, and each pair of twisted pairs must transmit 250Mbps data stream. However, because the design bandwidth of Category 5e twisted pairs is only 100MHz, in order to achieve a two-way transmission 1000Mbps network, it is necessary to meet the requirements of using all 4 pairs of lines (full-duplex), each pair of lines supporting a data rate of 250Mbps (in each direction), and sending 125M symbols per second.

On the other hand, because each link must transmit signals in full duplex, the possibility of bit errors increases. Therefore, full-duplex network equipment needs to add a large number of crosstalk/echo cancellation DSP processors so that the network equipment can correctly identify each square wave signal, which also greatly increases the average port cost of switches supporting 1000Base-T.

Although 1000Base-TX is also based on four pairs of twisted-pair cables, two pairs of cables send signals and two pairs of cables receive signals, and the cables themselves do not perform bidirectional transmission. Therefore, crosstalk between cables is greatly reduced, further reducing the cost of network interfaces. However, due to the reduced efficiency of using cables (two pairs of cables receive and two pairs of cables send), to achieve a transmission rate of 1000 mbps, the bandwidth requirement exceeds 100 MHz, so Category 5 and Category 5e systems cannot support this type of network, and only Category 6 systems can support it.

From the above analysis, it can be concluded that because of the use of 1000BASE-Tx working mode, the Category 6 system has a stronger anti-interference ability than the Category 5e system. This feature enables it to be widely used in various places.

Secondly, in terms of structure, there are also obvious differences between Category 5e twisted pair cables and Category 6 twisted pair cables. Category 6 twisted pair cables have an insulated cross frame, and the four pairs of twisted pair cables are placed in the four grooves of the cross frame. In addition, the cable conductor has a larger diameter, smaller torque, and a thicker outer diameter. This new production process of the center cross is also to avoid crosstalk between cables when applied to 1000BASE-T networks.

In addition, in terms of price, the price of Category 6 twisted pair cable is higher than that of Category 5e, which is also a factor in the relatively widespread application of Category 5e twisted pair cable.

From the current market perspective, Category 5e twisted pair is still a mainstream product in integrated wiring projects. It has excellent performance and better supports the smooth operation of the network. Although Category 6 twisted pair is better than Category 5e twisted pair in all aspects, Category 5e is still the mainstream. I believe that with the development of the times, Category 6 twisted pair will gradually penetrate into integrated wiring and gradually replace Category 5e twisted pair.

3. How much do you know about Category 6a network cables

1. The difference between Category 6a network cable and Category 6 network cable

Since the release of the TIA-568C.2 standard in 2009, Category 6A cables have been widely used in various wiring systems. Compared with traditional Category 6 cables, Category 6A cables have higher transmission frequencies and rates. Generally, the bandwidth of Category 6 cables is 250MHz, while the bandwidth of Category 6A cables is twice that of Category 6A cables. For data centers that have high requirements for network bandwidth, Category 6A cables are obviously a very good solution.

As the favorite of the current wiring system, Category 6A cables are inevitably compared with traditional Category 6 cables. The demand for 10G network ports in data centers is increasing. Among the 10G Ethernet interface methods, 10GBase-T four-pair twisted pair cables are one of the most familiar methods. Both Category 6 and Category 6A cables can support 10GBaes-T transmission at a certain length. Here, we mainly analyze the differences between Category 6 and Category 6A cables based on the differences in 10GBase-T support.

Although both can support 10GBase-T transmission, there is a clear difference in transmission length. In the IEEE802.3an standard, the transmission length supported by Category 6 cable is 55m, but the maximum transmission distance of Category 6A cable can reach 100m. The main reason for this difference is the difference in crosstalk between the cables. Although digital signal processing technology has made great progress at this stage, the mutual interference between cables cannot be used for signal detection. Compared with traditional Category 6 cables, Category 6A cables have greatly reduced crosstalk between cables. From this aspect, Category 6A cables are obviously better. In addition, Category 6A cables are fully compatible with the currently widely used plug-in modules (RJ45), which Category 6 cables cannot do at present.

2. Shielded and unshielded

Category 6A cables are available in shielded and unshielded types. Both can support a 100-meter 10G channel length, but there are significant differences in their structures. Category 6A unshielded cables only have a shielding layer on the outside, and the four twisted pairs inside have no shielding layer, and are only separated and fixed by a cross-shaped skeleton in the middle. Category 6A shielded cables have a shielding layer on the outside, and the four twisted pairs inside are also shielded by aluminum foil. Due to this special shielding layer structure, there is almost no external crosstalk between Category 6A shielded cables during wiring, and only the shielding ends need to be grounded. However, if a Category 6A unshielded twisted pair system is used, the problem of external crosstalk needs to be considered.

There are generally two solutions to solve the problem of crosstalk between unshielded Category 6A cables. One is to ensure a large enough spacing during construction to minimize the impact of crosstalk between cables; the other is to thicken the cable sheath so that the sheaths of the bundled cables increase the spacing to reduce the impact of external crosstalk.

This increases the production cost of unshielded Category 6A cables (usually, the outer diameter of Category 6A shielded cables is about 7.5mm, while the outer diameter of Category 6A unshielded cables is about 9mm. The increase in the outer diameter of the cable will correspondingly increase the cost of the cable conduit and trunking). From this point of view, Category 6A shielded twisted pair cables have more advantages than Category 6A unshielded twisted pair cables in the promotion of application fields, and are currently a better wiring standard solution.

3. Precautions for wiring Category 6a network cables

Category 6a cables are now being deployed on a large scale. When wiring Category 6a cables, there are several points to note:

Compared with other cables, Category 6A cables are heavier, which makes the installation of Category 6A cables more difficult. As cables develop to Category 6A, the wire diameter has increased to 0.6mm (23AWG), and a cross skeleton has been added in the middle of the wire core, which is the main reason for the increase in the weight of Category 6A cables. The larger wire diameter will lead to an increase in the requirements for wire trough space and load-bearing capacity, as well as vertical wiring space in the cabinet.

Therefore, when wiring, you must consider how many Category 6 cables your cable tray can accommodate. It is recommended that a bundle of Category 6 cables should not exceed 50. In addition, the location of the cable tray is also critical: you must ensure that the Category 6 cables are placed at the bottom to prevent them from crushing other cables with smaller diameters. Fiber Optic Communication Network

Category 6a cables have a larger bend radius (with very few exceptions). Generally speaking, the larger the diameter of the cable, the larger the bend radius. Because of the larger bend radius, you need to leave enough space behind the wall socket or at the end of the cable tray when routing.

Category 6A cables are not suitable for tying with plastic cable ties. Category 6A cables are fragile and easy to break, so it is best to use looser hook and loop cable ties instead of plastic cable ties. (Note: No matter what type of cable is tied, it must be done gently to avoid increasing the attenuation value due to over-tightening.)

The packaging of Category 6A cables is different from other types of cable packaging. For convenience, many workers now use pull boxes to package Category 5A and Category 6 cables, but Category 6A cables are generally packaged in the form of reels. Due to different actual needs, the size of each roll of Category 6A cable is also different, which means that you must choose the appropriate bracket or cart for storage, transportation and distribution according to the actual situation.

4. Summary

Category 6A cables are now mostly used in data centers. With the further expansion of data center construction, the use of Category 6A cables will also be further expanded. However, it should be noted that although Category 6A cables are superior to other cables, they also have their disadvantages and shortcomings. When wiring, you should not blindly choose based on the performance, but should choose a wiring system that suits you based on the actual situation.

What are the characteristics of Category 4 and 7 cables? How are they different from other cables?

1. What is Category 7 Ethernet cable?

Category 7 is a set of wiring standards that supports up to 600MHz bandwidth transmission on 100-ohm twisted pair cables. Category 7 cable is an 8-core shielded cable, each pair has a shield layer (usually metal foil shield DINTEK), and then there is another shield layer outside the 8 cores (usually metal braided wire mesh shield DINTEK), and the interface is not compatible with the current RJ-45.

2. Comparison between Category 7 and Category 6 network cables

There are many significant differences between Category 7 and Category 6 cabling, the most obvious of which is bandwidth. Compared with Category 4, Category 5, Category 5e and Category 6, Category 7 has a higher transmission bandwidth (at least 600MHz). Category 6 channels provide a comprehensive attenuation to crosstalk ratio of at least 200MHZ and an overall bandwidth of 250MHZ. Category 7 systems can provide a comprehensive attenuation to crosstalk ratio of at least 500MHZ and an overall bandwidth of 600MHZ. Another difference between Category 6 and Category 7 systems is their structure. Category 6 cabling can use both UTP and STP, while Category 7 cabling is based only on shielded cables. In Category 7 cables, each pair of wires has a shielding layer, and the four pairs of wires together have a common large shielding layer.

From a physical structure point of view, the additional shielding layer makes the Category 7 cable have a larger wire diameter. Another important difference lies in its ability to connect hardware. The parameters of the Category 7 system require that all wire pairs provide at least 60DB of comprehensive near-end crosstalk at 600MHZ, while the Category 5e system only requires 43DB at 100MHZ, and the value of Category 6 at 250MHZ is 46DB.

3. Comparison of Category 7 cabling technologies and optical fiber

The rapidly developing network applications have an increasing demand for bandwidth. The Category 6 cabling system promulgated this year meets most current commercial applications with its 250MHz bandwidth. However, with the continuous advancement of technology, it is only a matter of time before the 250MHz bandwidth can no longer fully meet people's needs.

Therefore, a discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of Category 7 cabling and optical cable was launched in view of the development trend of cabling systems in the next few years.

The selection of cable type should be based on comprehensive considerations such as cable purpose, required transmission capacity, transmission bandwidth, price, etc. Cable types include three categories: unshielded twisted pair, shielded twisted pair, and optical cable.

(1) Unshielded twisted pair (UTP) is the most widely used cabling system in China. It is suitable for network applications with a transmission bandwidth below 250MHz and no special performance requirements. Its advantages are good overall performance, low price, and convenient construction and maintenance. The Category 6 cabling system has reached the performance limit of unshielded twisted pair.

(2) Aluminum foil shielded twisted pair cable FTP has a large bandwidth, strong anti-interference performance, and is low smoke and halogen-free. Relatively speaking, the price and installation cost of shielded cable are higher than that of unshielded cable, and the cable bending performance is slightly worse. Category 6 cable and previous shielding systems mostly use this form.

(3) Independently shielded twisted pair STP, each pair of wires has an aluminum foil shielding layer, and the four pairs of wires together have a common metal braided shielding layer. This is the standard structure of Category 7 cables. It is suitable for high-speed network applications, provides highly confidential transmission, supports new applications in the future, and helps to unify the wiring platform of current network applications, so that all kinds of information from e-mail to multimedia video can be transmitted in the same high-speed system. The additional shielding layer makes Category 7 cables have a larger wire diameter. These characteristics require special care when designing and installing routing and termination space, and leave a large space and a large bending radius.

As early as 1997, wiring standardization organizations and manufacturers had proposed the concept of a Category 7 copper cable wiring system, which can provide at least 500MHz of comprehensive attenuation to crosstalk ratio and 600MHz of overall bandwidth. Its connector requires that all pairs of wires provide at least 60dB of comprehensive near-end crosstalk at 600MHz. The Category 5e system only requires 43dB at 100MHz, and the value of Category 6 at 250MHz is 46dB. Moreover, due to its excellent shielding design and high bandwidth, a typical Category 7 channel can even provide a pair of wires with a bandwidth of 862MHz for transmitting cable TV signals, transmit analog audio signals on another pair of wires, and then transmit high-speed LAN information on the third and fourth pairs of wires. This application is unimaginable at present, but it will soon be realized by the Category 7 wiring system. The launched Category 7 wiring system has already led the industry in reaching a bandwidth of 1200MHz.

Compared with fiber LAN, the Category 7 system solution provides the desired performance and bandwidth, but its overall cost is only a fraction of that of fiber. Some people would think that the fiber optic system can bring people enough bandwidth, and the price of optical cable is close to that of Category 7 cable. However, if the cost of fiber optic routers, optical switches and optical network cards is taken into account, the price advantage of fiber optic will be lost quickly.

(4) Optical cables, especially single-mode optical cables, can be used for high-speed network transmission and have the advantages of inherent immunity to electromagnetic interference, high reliability, and support for long-distance transmission. They are the ideal network transmission medium in the future and their status is becoming increasingly important. However, the cost of optical cable equipment, materials, and terminations is relatively expensive, and the installation is relatively complicated, so they are generally suitable for long-distance and large-capacity wiring.

At present, 62.5/125μm multimode optical cable has become the mainstream wiring medium in the integrated wiring backbone system, and its application in the horizontal system is becoming increasingly widespread. The new version of TIA/EIA-568-B.3 specifies the mechanical characteristics and transmission performance of optical fiber, connection hardware and optical fiber jumpers. Compared with 568-A, its most significant enhancement is the recognition of 50/125μm multimode optical fiber, and in addition to SC connectors, it also recognizes small form factor (SFF) optical fiber connectors as connectors in the work area. Allowing the use of SFF connectors brings many benefits to end users. For example, the larger size of SC connectors cannot support the industrial trend of equipment interfaces developing towards high density, while the use of SFF connectors can easily connect two core optical fibers in the same space as RJ-45. Due to TIA's recognition of SFF optical fiber connectors, optical fiber equipment manufacturers such as CISCO, 3Com, IBM, etc. have integrated these interface designs into their products.